Brendan Rodgers was fired one hour after Merseyside derby as Arne Slot bids to avoid repeat

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was dismissed just one hour after the 1-1 Merseyside derby draw with Everton in October 2015, despite claiming the result was 'the least we deserved'

Brendan Rodgers encountered a similar start to the season with Liverpool in 2014(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The Merseyside derby carries the weight to define or destroy a managerial tenure, something Brendan Rodgers understood all too well given the expectations surrounding this historic fixture.

The Northern Irishman managed Liverpool for over three years, but his Anfield reign concluded following a 1-1 stalemate with Everton.

Having secured merely three victories in his opening seven matches of the 2015/16 campaign, Rodgers' position hung precariously as speculation circulated throughout the Premier League that the Reds' ownership group Fenway Sports Group were evaluating potential replacements including Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti. The derby at Goodison Park subsequently proved to be Rodgers' final match in charge of Liverpool.

While taking the advantage through Danny Ings, Romelu Lukaku equalised merely four minutes afterwards.

The single point, secured against an Everton outfit that had suffered just one defeat in their initial eight fixtures, positioned Liverpool 10th in the standings during early October, ultimately proving unacceptable for FSG.

Addressing the media post-match, Rodgers commended his squad, stating: "Our mentality in the game was outstanding, the draw was the least we deserved."

Merely an hour following the final whistle, the manager received notification of his dismissal in news broadcast live on Sky Sports, with the responses from Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry becoming legendary.

Liverpool's form heading into the Everton encounter was abysmal, with the team securing just one victory in their previous nine away league fixtures and failing to register a clean sheet in their last eight matches across all competitions.

Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers before the match(Image: Action Images / Carl Recine)

It's especially significant that the owners made the decision to dismiss Rodgers following the Merseyside derby, highlighting just how crucial the fixture proves when determining the fate of both players and managers.

The 248th instalment of the Merseyside derby unfolds on Sunday, marking the first derby to be staged at Hill Dickinson Stadium, as Arne Slot finds himself in a comparable situation to Rodgers.

With no trophies left to compete for after their Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week, the Reds are limping through a campaign that will swiftly be erased from supporters' memories.

Having already endured several embarrassing losses to PSV Eindhoven, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and others, a woeful performance on Sunday could see history repeating itself more than a decade after the previous post-derby managerial dismissal.